Precipitous Dehydroepiandrosterone Declines Reflect Decreased Physical Vitality and Function

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form, DHEA-S, peak in young adulthood and then decrease dramatically with age. However, there is extensive variation in this age-related hormone decline, suggesting an early decrement may be associated with lower vitality and be prognostic of poor healt...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Biological sciences and medical sciences, 2017-06, Vol.72 (6), p.747-753
Main Authors: Rendina, Danielle N, Ryff, Carol D, Coe, Christopher L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Aging - blood
Aging - physiology
Biomarkers - blood
Chronic Disease
Chronic illnesses
Chronic pain
Chronic Pain - physiopathology
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Dehydroepiandrosterone - blood
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate - blood
Female
Gait
Gerontology
Hand Strength - physiology
Health Status
Health Surveys
Hormones
Humans
Male
Middle age
Middle Aged
Norms
Older people
Original
Pain
Pain Measurement
Physical fitness
Self Report
Vigor
Walking Speed - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated form, DHEA-S, peak in young adulthood and then decrease dramatically with age. However, there is extensive variation in this age-related hormone decline, suggesting an early decrement may be associated with lower vitality and be prognostic of poor health in old age. To determine whether DHEA-S and DHEA are correlated with physical indices of vitality, hormone levels were analyzed with respect to clinical health histories, physical functioning including grip strength, gait speed and repetitive standing, and self-reported chronic pain. The participants (N = 1,214) were 35-86 years of age from a nationally representative survey, Midlife Development in the United States. DHEA-S and DHEA below age-expected levels were associated with more chronic illness conditions and self-reported persistent pain and pain sensitivity upon manual palpation. Additionally, lower DHEA-S and DHEA correlated with poorer performance on tests of physical functioning by middle age suggesting a more precipitous decline is already indicative of reduced vigor and physical strength. When considered with respect to age- and gender-typical norms, larger decrements in DHEA-S and DHEA may be causally related to the loss of physical vitality. Conversely, when hormone secretion is sustained in older adults, it conveys reduced risk for the physical weakness and ailments that precede frailty.
ISSN:1079-5006
1758-535X
DOI:10.1093/gerona/glw135